Revenge is a Way of Life
by deargoodbye
Summary: Lexi and her sister, Mari, were kidnapped from their home along with their parents and Lexi's son. Forced to watch as their family was murdered, Lexi decided she would have her revenge.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

The music was playing loudly as an older couple, two younger girls; one of them holding a small boy in her arms danced around the room laughing loudly. The happiness was clear on their face and judging by the party hats they wore they were obviously celebrating the boys first birthday. The girl holding the boy gave him a large smile, "Do you like dancing with mama, baby?" She cooed softly in his ear as she held him closer, "I love dancing with you, Billy."

Swinging around in a circle she lifted him up high, laughing at the giggle that came from his mouth. Bringing him back down into her arms she pressed kisses against both his round pudgy cheeks and he grabbed one of her blonde curls and pulled on it, "Mama…" Another giggle bubbled out of his mouth as she gave him Eskimo kisses and started heading towards the table.

"Time for cake, handsome," Placing him in his high chair the girl turned to the rooms other occupants. "Okay I'm going to grab the cake, get ready for happy birthday guys." A large smile still in place, the girl waved her hand a bit at her son and headed towards the kitchen humming quietly along with the music. When she walked into the kitchen she didn't notice that the door wasn't hanging on right and she didn't think about the fact that the shadows in the hallway leading towards the bathroom seemed to be moving towards. The only thing on her mind was getting the birthday cake ready for her son. Just as she lifted the cake into her arms a hand covered her mouth and she was roughly shoved against the counter causing her to drop the cake.

She managed to let out a muffled cry and tried to kick out at her captor but he merely laughed and his laugh chilled her to the core. The only thing she could think about was her family in the other room and her son, oh god her son, she prayed that they didn't hurt him. She didn't have the chance for too many more thoughts though as she was knocked unconscious.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing that crossed her mind when she came to was that she was lying on something cold and hard. Then what had occurred came rushing back and she sat up her eyes flying open, she saw she was in some sort of creepy old house in a cage and her parents were still unconscious and her sister was in the far corner gently rocking back and forth holding a sleeping Billy in her arms. "Oh thank god…" She crawled over towards her sister and gently took her son from the other girls' arms before cradling him close. "What happened, Mari? Where are we? Who took us?"

The questions were spoken quietly so she wouldn't wake her son but there was a sense of urgency to her voice. They needed to figure out what was going on so that they could get out of her. When her sister raised her head, she could tell that Mari was terribly frightened. "I don't know, Lexi. They woke me when we got here and gave me Billy. There's something wrong with their teeth, Lexi, something very wrong with them." Lexi could tell Mari was going to start babbling soon and wrapped her free arm around her younger sister trying to comfort her.

"It's all going to be alright, Mari; we'll get out of here. I promise," She just prayed it was a promise she could follow through on. Lexi glanced around the room trying to find a way to get her family out of here safely. She couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to them. Silently, she began praying for God to protect Mari and Billy and her parents. Glancing around the room she couldn't find anyway to escape and she couldn't help but wonder what these people wanted from them. Slowly Lexi handed Billy back to Mari, "Sing to him. I'm going to try to wake Mom and Dad."

As Mari took Billy, Lexi crawled over to her parents and pulled her mothers head in her lap and that's when she noticed the deep puncture wounds on her neck and down her arms. A startled gasp escaped her lips, "Dear god…who are these monsters…" She muttered under her breath as she began silently crying. Pressing two fingers to the side of her mothers neck she tried to find a pulse and when she couldn't she leaned over the body of her mother and began to weep. _'Why did they put her in here with us if she was already dead? What kind of torture is this?'_

Wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, Lexi lowered her mothers' body to the ground and crawled over towards her father, fearful of what she was going to find. When she turned him over his eyes slowly opened and groan escaped his lips, blinking a few times he raised his gaze to hers. "What's going on, Lex?" Lexi couldn't answer she was so choked up and instead wrapped her arms around her father holding him close. He slowly raised himself to a sitting position and hugged her tightly for a moment while taking in their surroundings.

For some reason he didn't seem as surprised as she thought he would when he realized they were in a cage, she supposed it was the shock of the situation though. "Daddy…Mom…Mom…" She couldn't bring herself to say it and instead crawled back over to Mari who was staring at them but it didn't seem as though she were actually seeing them. Taking Billy from her once more Lexi took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself down as Mari curled up into a ball in the far corner of the cage.

Her father had gathered her mother into his arms and brought her to the other side of the cage. He held her in his arms for a few minutes but didn't shed any tears, it was as though he was unable to but Lexi could tell he was in pain. He brushed a few stray strands off of her mothers' forehead and gently placed a kiss on her lips. "I love you, Hannah, always and forever." The words were whispered so quietly Lexi almost didn't catch them but when she did new tears began to fall down her cheeks. She cradled her son close to her chest and kissed his forehead thankful he was still sleeping so peacefully.

After a few moments he made his way over to his daughters and took a seat in between them, gently rubbing Mari's back. "Don't worry; we'll get out of here. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Lexi wanted to believe him but all she had to do was take one look at her mother to know that they weren't equipped to deal with what they were facing. This was beyond even her fathers' capabilities and she'd always believed her father was capable of anything. When she was younger he'd been absent a lot of her childhood because he'd been in the Marines and when he'd come back he'd been withdrawn and angry. Eventually that had passed though and he would take her and Mari out on hikes and sometimes to the gun range when they were older. Mari had only ever gone once to the gun range, she'd hated it with a passion but they both enjoyed the hikes and the wilderness.

He'd taught them to track animals and about different plants that were edible and which ones were poisonous. Their mother had never understood how two girls could enjoy the wilderness so much, but Lexi had always found it fascinating that humans could essentially survive on very little. She had planned on taking Billy out on trips with them when he got older; she figured it could become a family tradition and a way to spend more time with her father.

She was startled from her thoughts by the sounds of footsteps and by the sounds of it there were several people coming. When they entered the room and she got her first good look at their faces a startled shriek rose from her throat and Billy awoke with a cry. Hugging him even closer to her she backed away from the door to the cage and her father moved in front of her and her sister. It wasn't that they were particularly hideous, but their chins and mouths were covered in bloodstains and when one of them opened their mouth to growl at them she could see their jagged, sharp teeth. Obviously the cause of the injuries on her mothers body. Lexi tried not to sob as she rocked Billy back and forth trying to calm his cries.

One of them stepped forward, a man who appeared to be in his early to mid thirties and he crouched down in front of the cage. Lexi could see the amusement in his eyes and she felt a rush of anger at it. He was laughing at them; he found this whole thing amusing. "Papa bear protecting his clan…isn't that adorable? Don't worry soon enough you'll want to tear their throats out and feast on their blood just like that pretty little wife of yours will when she wakes up."

He laughed and pulled the door open, moving so quickly Lexi could barely keep up. He roughly punched her father in the face and tossed him to the side before ripping Billy from her arms. A strangled cry escaped her lips and she rushed forward trying desperately to get her son back. "No, please, don't hurt him. Please, take me, I won't fight. Please let him go. Please, he's just a child he won't even remember a thing. Please, please…" She sobbed and had almost made it out of the cage when one of the women that had been standing to the side stepped forward and roughly pushed her back before slamming the door.

"Don't worry, love, we'll be back for you soon. But we can't pass up a meal like that, sweetest blood you can imagine." The man cackled as he spoke and Lexi collapsed to her knees, sobbing. What kind of people could hurt a baby? He was an innocent little boy. Lexi jumped to her feet and began to scream, wrapping her fingers around the cage and shaking it back and forth as the man laughed in her face. "My, my you are a feisty one aren't you?"

Turning he walked from the room, holding her screaming baby in his arms. Lexi continued to scream and shake the cage until her voice was hoarse and her arms felt like jelly. Sinking to the floor, Lexi wrapped her arms around her legs and began to rock back and forth sobbing the entire time. She felt two sets of arms wrap around her and pull her away from the entrance to the cage and she was too tired to fight them. Lexi was too lost in her world of pain to know what was going on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hours past and they heard no sign of Billy; they only heard Lexi's crying. She hadn't been able to stop since they'd ripped her son from her arms and she didn't think she'd be able to any time soon. She felt as though she'd lost a part of her soul and mind when they'd taken him from the room. Images of what could be happening to her helpless son while she did nothing kept replaying over and over in her mind. If only she'd fought harder or been a little quicker she could have gotten out of the cage and somehow fought them off and she'd still have her baby boy in her arms.

It seemed as though these monsters were going to let them rot here for days before doing something else to torture them. Soon enough though they came back and Lexi's father gave her a hard look trying to warn her to keep quiet and not to attract anymore attention to herself. He moved closer to the entrance to the cage, he wanted to try and negotiate with these people and get them to let his daughters go. "I won't fight you; you can do whatever you want. Just let them go and I'll do anything you say."

The man who had taken Billy earlier stepped forward and pressed his face against the cage. "Is that so, papa bear? Sacrifice yourself for your children?" He splayed his hand against the cage, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

An evil smile crossed his face and Lexi blinked, sitting up, "Don't. He's just playing with, with all of us."

The man laughed and turned his eyes towards Lexi, "I'm going to enjoy breaking you." He motioned towards the other three occupants of the room to come forward before he opened the door and pulled Lexi's father from the cage. Lexi's father turned his gaze on his girls and he shook his head when they began to move towards them.

"I love you, don't ever forget that."

A woman to the side of her father laughed, "Are those your dying words?"

Her father simply scowled at the people and held his head high as they shut the cage door behind them. Lexi crawled over towards the door, her eyes finally drying as she watched her proud father. She knew in her heart that they were all going to die here tonight but she swore to herself that she would fight them with every bone in her body and try to get her sister out of here. The man who seemed to be their leader studied her, a dark glint in his eye, before he pulled her father flush against his body facing the cage. He gave Lexi a wink before viciously tilting her fathers head to the side and biting his neck. A gasp escaped her mouth as she backed away from the entry to her cage; she could hear a sucking noise and knew instinctively that the man was drinking her fathers' blood. Her father cried out in pain and closed his eyes. Forcing herself to turn away and go to her sister to try and shield her from the sight. She heard their laughter and realized that they truly were monsters. The kind of monsters she never would have dreamed existed and in that moment her heart filled with the need for revenge. She wanted to tear them apart limb by limb and watch as they took their last evil breath.

Lexi pulled Mari into her arms, the girl still hadn't spoken and Lexi knew she was in shock and wouldn't be able to fend for herself. When she heard her fathers' body hit the ground she turned her head to the side to see what was going on but all she could see was the man bending over her fathers' lifeless body. Carefully Lexi unwrapped her arms from her around her sister and looked into her eyes. "Turn around, Mari." Her sister complied without saying a word and Lexi moved over to the door. "What are you doing to him?"

The man glanced up at her, "Making a surprise for the quiet one over there." He laughed and the others moved toward the entrance of the cage. Lexi stared at them, unsure of what they were doing at first, but when the man gripped her fathers arm and started pulling him towards the entrance it dawned on her that they were putting him in there with her and her sister.

Holding back a sob, Lexi watched as they deposited him inside and expected them to leave once more like they had every other time, but she was caught off guard when they grabbed her arm and dragged her from the cage. "No, let me be with Mari…at least for a little bit," She pleaded, but like before it fell on deaf ears and they pulled her completely from the cage before locking the door once more. The man came forward and cupped her chin, caressing her cheek almost lovingly.

"I'm really going to enjoy this," He said a smirk in place as her fathers' blood dripped down his chin. She snatched her head away and spit in his face before throwing her elbow behind her, connecting with the womans face who was holding her arm. The woman let out a small cry and an evil smile crossed his face as he wiped away her saliva. He backhanded her and Lexi's face snapped to the side feeling as though it were going to be ripped off. He pulled her into a bear hug and lifted her into the air before walking towards the entrance to the room. Lexi heard Mari begin to sob and knew she'd seen her father. Lexi tried to turn and look back at her sister but the others had fallen into place behind the man and she couldn't see beyond them.

When they entered the next room, Lexi's eyes landed on a table that held a bloodied blanket and a tiny form. She gasped when she realized it was her son. Candles were lit all around his body and she turned her head away only to have her chin grasped and her head turned back to the horrible sight. "He was a tasty morsel. I think he may get it from his mom, guess we'll just have to find out."

Lexi's body began to fill with rage as they brought her closer to the table. A cry fell from her lips and it sounded so foreign even to her own ears, it was filled with hate and pain and anger. She lifted her legs up and pushed the table, causing it to topple against the wall. Silently she cried when she heard her sons body hit the ground but she refused to stop fighting. Throwing her head back she felt it connect with the mans nose and his grip lessoned for a moment, but it was long enough for her to pull away and turn to face the crowd that was slowly surrounding her, boxing her in. The man looked up at her, blood gushing from his nose and he snarled before he realized the candles that had been on the table had caught the drapes on fire and it was spreading rapidly. A slow smile crossed his face and he pulled his arm back before punching Lexi.

As the hit landed she flew back against the table, nearly breaking it in half with the force she hit it with. She felt something hit her again before she blacked out for a few moments. When she came to the room had filled with smoke but the people that had been there weren't in sight. Flames licked the walls around her and she scrambled to her feet, running around the table to get her son. His body was already engulfed in flames and she slowly backed away her mind numb to what was going on around her. When she hit the wall she felt the heat from the flames already crawling up one side of her body. When her skin began to sizzle she snapped out of her daze and quickly took off the sweater she'd been wearing patting out the flames on the side of her body.

Running out of the room, Lexi coughed and made her way to the cage that held her family. Her sister was sitting in the corner crying, but when she saw Lexi her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet and over to the entrance. Lexi looked around for something to break the lock on the cage and saw a crowbar on the ground, it was coated in blood. Grabbing it Lexi ran to the cage and used all of her strength to break the lock. When it came apart and the cage door opened, she fell to her knees. Mari stepped out and wrapped her arm around Lexi, practically dragging her from the house.

Once outside Mari collapsed to the ground, gratefully sucking in the fresh air. She could hear the sirens and knew they weren't far, so she waited, running her hands through her sisters' hair and praying to god that they were safe. As the sirens came closer she could see their lights and as much as she wanted to run towards them she couldn't leave her sister laying there on the ground. She was the only family Mari had left and she couldn't stand to be away from her even for a moment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Lexi came too slowly, feeling as though she were waking from a nightmare. When she opened her eyes and realized she was in the hospital, everything that had happened came flooding back and she knew she wasn't waking from a nightmare because the nightmare was all around her. She turned her head to the side and saw Mari sprawled out in a chair near the bed, sleeping. Lexi lifted her arm and saw it covered in a bandage and she realized it must be for the burns. Slowly she pushed herself to a sitting position and tried not to groan at the pain that shot up her side. Running her hand lightly down the hospital gown she wore she felt the edges of another bandage covering one side of her body.

Turning to the side, Lexi set her feet on the ground and pushed herself up from the bed before walking towards the bathroom. Quietly shutting the door behind her she flipped on the light and turned to face the mirror. The left side of her face was bandaged as well and parts of her hair had been singed away by the flames. Lexi leaned her hands against the counter and looked down, tears silently streaming down her face. She couldn't understand why this had happened to them, why God hadn't chosen to protect them. In that instant she decided there couldn't be a God because no God would her innocent son be ravaged by those monsters. At that moment she decided she would be her own God and she would hunt those bastards down and make every last one of them pay.

Looking back up at the mirror, her face set with determination she knew she would have to learn everything about them. Not the legends and the fiction but the truth. God, she never would have thought she'd be in this position, but then again she never would have believed that vampires existed if it wasn't for this. Wiping her face dry, Lexi turned off the light and went back out to her bed. As she climbed on top of it Mari woke with a start and looked at her sister, her gaze heavy with grief. "What are we going to do, Lexi?"

Lexi looked at her, a tight frown in place on her face, "We're going to make them pay Mari. We're going to make sure every last one of them wishes they had never taken us. We're going to kill them."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A.N. Hope everyone liked the first chapter. Let me know what you think. Anyway, I'm having trouble with the html coding so if anyone knows a good amount about it, drop me a message, please. I'd love to pick your brain!


	2. Chapter One

_Chapter One_

Alexandreia Mallory has lived a lonely life over the last ten years but it's one she chose for herself and she wouldn't change it. She felt as though this decision had been made for her the night those vampire bastards had broken into her home and destroyed everything she'd known and loved. Now the only thing she had left was a sister who she talked to occasionally, saw only once a year and the drive to keep hunting. To keep killing supernatural beasts because she still hadn't found the vampires who had so callously stripped her of everything she'd had. She'd gotten close a few times but it was as though they had her scent and knew she was closing in.

Ten years ago Lexi had decided that she wouldn't stop hunting until she found them, until she'd made each and every one of them suffer the way she'd suffered. She'd decided that night in her hospital bed that when she caught them she would torture them the way they had tortured her and she would love every minute of it. Although she'd told her sister that first night that they would do it together she'd known that she would never be able to bring her sister with her like that. So after she'd recovered and they'd held a funeral service for her deceased parents and son she'd packed a duffel tossing in the necessities and a few things she'd wanted to remember her family by and she'd taken off, leaving Mari with her fathers' sister, Georginia.

Using the money her parents had left her she'd gotten a small studio apartment in Bronx, New York and started preparing herself to be able to fight. She knew she couldn't take one of those things with the little knowledge she had about fighting, shooting, and about them as well. So she'd studied everything she could get her hands on when it came to the supernatural and she started taking self-defense classes, karate, and a bit of kick-boxing. She also started collecting different sort of weaponry.

Her father had owned a Walther-PPK, a Smith & Wesson 1911, and Remington 870 shotgun that Lexi had taken with her before she'd left town. The first weapon Lexi had bought for herself had been a broadsword, she'd figured it'd come in more handy than most other weapons when you were chasing what she was. During her research she'd found only one common link between all the legends about vampires and that was that beheading was the way to kill them. She figured that unless these real vampires could regenerate heads that was the most efficient way to kill them.

As Lexi trained and researched various supernatural creatures, Mari had gone back to school. At first when Lexi had left she'd been mad at her sister for leaving her behind with someone she couldn't possibly tell the truth to. The only good thing about the situation was that her aunt rarely asked about Mari's parents and never broached the subject of that night. So, after the initial questioning Mari never really had to talk about it again. It gave her ample time to repress the few things about that night that had truly frightened her but that didn't mean she'd forgotten that what had killed her parents and nephew hadn't been completely human. Mari forced herself to try and live a semi-normal life but she constantly thought of her sister and wondered what she was doing and what she'd found out about these monsters.

At first, Mari tried calling Lexi several times a day but she soon realized that Lexi wouldn't pick up unless she wanted to so she gave up. She threw herself into classes and socializing and she joined a karate class. She figured if her sister was learning to protect herself then it would be a good idea for her to learn as well. It actually cam pretty easily to her and she advanced at a quick pace. Mari wanted to learn to handle weapons as well but she knew her aunt would never allow it so she focused instead on the physical aspect and decided when she turned eighteen she would get a gun and begin going to the range like she had with her father.

After a little over a year passed, Lexi decided she'd learned enough to be able to handle herself and she'd built up quite an arsenal for herself as well. So she packed up what she wanted to take, which wasn't much aside from her weapons and stowed them away in her car before hitting the open road. She traveled from city to city, often sleeping in her car, at least until she figured out she had a knack for cards and could usually swindle a good amount when she played.

As the years passed her by she tracked down one beastie after another barely taking a breath in between hunts. Her rage and thirst for revenge wouldn't allow it. Not until she tracked down and killed every vampire that had been a part of the nest that had killed her family. Although Lexi preferred to hunt alone she realized there was a downfall to not having someone there to watch your back. Of course, she wouldn't admit it to anyone but herself even when she ended up in the hospital with a severe concussion and a few cracked ribs after a ghost pushed her through a second story window. Over the years she'd earned more than her fair share of scrapes and bruises but she managed to avoid hospitals for the most part by going to private practitioners and picking up a medical kit.

Time passed and her visible scars began to fade, leaving only a jagged slash across her cheek from where the vampire leader had smashed her face and the burn scars that traveled up her side. Emotionally though it was as if no time had passed at all. She lived and breathed revenge, it was all she could think about and it was clear to anyone that this girl was irrevocably damaged. Lexi had met other hunters on the road but she'd never gotten particularly close to any, these days though she was beginning to regret that decision when she realized they could easily be used to get information about the vampires she was hunting. She'd remembered hearing about a bar in Nebraska that they tended to frequent so she'd decided to check it out for herself.

Her last case had been in Utah and since she was only a few states away, she figured now was as good a time as any to head to Nebraska and see what she could find. She drove through the night and most of the day until she pulled up in the parking lot of the Roadhouse. Grabbing her Smith & Wesson, she checked the magazine to make sure it was loaded before tucking it in the back of her waist band. She'd found that you could never be too careful around other hunters and she didn't want to be taken off guard. Lexi was glad to see that there were only a couple of other cars in the parking lot as she walked towards the entrance and pulled the door open.

Quickly surveying her surroundings she headed to the bar and ordered a beer from the blonde girl wiping down the counters. Lexi figured she might as well get something to drink while she figured out exactly what she wanted to ask these people. She'd heard the owner knew a lot about hunting from her husband and Lexi thought she would be the best place to start.

Lexi took a swig from her beer and glanced around, catching the eye of an older brunette coming out from the back. The brunette eyed her before striding over and leaning against the bar on her elbow. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Setting her beer down, Lexi swung her chair around to face the woman. "You ask everyone that, or am I just special?"

The woman quirked an eyebrow at her and frowned slightly, "I don't like being sassed. I just thought I'd make conversation since it seems like you're looking for someone."

"I'm looking for the owner."

Her face tightened for a split second before she relaxed it into a smirk, "Well you found her. Name's Ellen, you are?"

She really needed to learn when to keep her mouth shut, she just hoped this wouldn't stop Ellen from helping her find the information she needed. "Lexi, Lexi Mallory. Sorry I was rude, I didn't realize."

Ellen just shrugged and took a seat on the barstool next to her before motioning for the blonde behind the counter to get her a drink. "Don't worry, hunters always were more suspicious then the civilians. What can I do for you?"

Lexi wondered if she was overly obvious about who she was and Ellen seemed to read the question on her face because her smirk broadened into a grin. "I can see the outline of the gun at your back."

Well that at least explained why she'd come over there in the first place. Lexi gave a little shrug, figuring if the woman knew hunters then she knew they didn't go anywhere unprotected. "I was hoping you could help me find some information on some vamps I've been hunting."

Picking up the drink that was set down in front of her, Ellen took a sip before answering her question. "I'm not sure I can help you with that, but there's someone I know who might be able to. You looking for a specific bunch?"

"They target families." At her words, Ellen tensed and frowned before finishing her drink and signaling for another.

"I haven't heard anything specific about that but I can put you in touch with someone who might have." As her drink was refilled, Ellen stood and headed towards the back of the bar. Lexi sighed in relief, feeling like she'd finally gotten her first break on these animals after all these years. Finishing her beer, she heard the opening tones to Little Sister by Cheap Trick and knew her sister was calling. Considering she hadn't heard from Mari in months she figured it must be something important.

Signaling for another beer, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open. "What's up?" She asked quietly, feeling the slight twinge of guilt she got every time Mari called her. The girl had learned long ago not to call unless it was an emergency because more times than not Lexi wouldn't pick up or return her calls for weeks. It wasn't that Lexi didn't want to talk to her it was that she wanted to keep her safe and having what goes bump in the night know that her weakness was a little sister who was incredibly vulnerable would not be a good thing.

"Lex?" Mari's voice sounded shocked and Lexi could understand why. "Good," She said after a moment. "I'm glad you picked up. You need to come here."

"To your school? Why, what's up?" As the blonde brought her another beer Lexi laid out a ten on the bar and grabbed the beer before standing and walking towards the entrance. She could hear a signs of panic in her sisters voice and it was something she wasn't used to.

Mari sighed before answering, "Something's going on. There've been suicides on campus, but no one can explain why. I think it might be a ghost."

Lexi frowned and took a deep gulp of her beer, "What makes you say that?"

"All the people are in one dorm and they had no reason to kill themselves, it just doesn't make sense. Look I wouldn't have called you if I thought it was something run of the mill."

"I know that," Lexi nearly snapped at her when she spoke but she managed to keep her tone light. "How many?"

"Four… that I know of at least." It was Lexi's turn to sigh now as she glanced around for Ellen. She'd finally got a solid lead or at least a solid contact and she'd have to put it off.

"I'll be there as soon as I can be." Lexi closed the phone without so much as a goodbye and finished the beer before setting it on the bar. She motioned for the blonde to come over. "Can you tell Ellen, something came up and I'll be back as soon as I take care of it."

The blonde looked less than happy to be a messenger but she nodded her head and Lexi slipped another ten on the bar as thanks before turning to head out. As she reached for the door, it was pulled open and she ran smack into someone. Glancing up, she saw two guys both handsome and nodded her apology before pushing past them and heading towards her car. She could tell one of them was following her ass as she walked and she sent a glare over her shoulder. He offered her a smirk and wink before going inside and she shook her head. Men were all the same, after the same thing and they usually acted the same way once they got it. Then again Lexi had found herself becoming that type of person over the last few years. It was to dangerous to take up with someone but it was too lonely to spend all of her time with no male company.

Sliding behind the wheel, she removed the gun from her back and sat it on the passenger seat as she started the car up. Mari's school was luckily only a few days drive from where she was, but Lexi was going to need to stop to sleep so it would take longer than she would've liked. She'd been driving for nearly two days straight though so it wasn't really an option if she wanted to make it there in one piece. After a few hours of driving, Lexi spotted a rundown motel on the side of the road and pulled off. Normally she'd just park her car on the side of the road and sleep in the backseat but she'd gone to long without a bed, even a shitty motel bed would be better then the backseat of her car.

When she woke, she drove to the nearest gas station and bought coffee and a few energy drinks before getting back on the road. At the rate she was going, she made it there by the next evening and pulled up in front of her sisters dorm. Although she hadn't seen her sister in awhile, she still knew where she lived and she made a point of checking on her a couple of times a year even if Mari didn't know she was there. Tucking her gun in it's normal place she climbed out of her car and stretched her arms and legs before locking it and turning to head into the building. There were a couple of people sitting at a desk in the lobby so she walked over and signed herself in before calling her sister to meet her down there.

Mari seemed a little surprised to hear that she was in the lobby and Lexi figured it was because Mari hadn't know she'd known where she'd lived. When Mari, reached the lobby Lexi gave her a tight grin and hugged her lightly. "You look different, Lex. You're tanner."

Lexi laughed a bit and nodded her head, "I think I got the truckers tan."

Mari didn't laugh, but instead turned and started walking towards the stairs to lead Lexi to her room. "I didn't know you knew where I was."

"Aunt Georgie gave me your address awhile back, I thought she would've told you." Lexi just shrugged, not willing to divulge that she'd been checking on her periodically since she'd left her with their aunt.

"We don't talk that much." Lexi frowned at her sisters reply, she'd hoped they would be closer so that Mari would have someone to lean on when she needed it. Once they reached Mari's room and were safely inside, Mari handed her a manila envelope. "That's everything I've been able to find out about the suicides. The building is across campus, I can take you there if you like."

Lexi shook her head and flipped through the paperwork her sister had put together. She was surprised by what she'd found out, it seemed like her sister knew more about what had been going on then she'd let on at first. Lexi would double check her work, but if her sister was right this would be a simple salt and burn. Of course, she wasn't going to tell Mari that. She didn't want her sister knowing anymore about the supernatural then she already did.

"I think I can handle this," Lexi said after a few minutes and closed the folder before looking up at her sister. "Did you know any of them?"

Mari shook her head, "Not really. I went on a couple of dates with the second victim but that was ages ago."

Lexi prided herself on being able to read people and Mari didn't seem like she was lying so Lexi just nodded her head and glanced around the room. "Nice place you have here."

"It's not bad." Mari said quietly as she studied Lexi, making Lexi duck her head a bit. "You've got more scars."

"Hazards of the job." Lexi kept it simple because she didn't feel like hashing it out with Mari right now about why she'd left her with their aunt and why she didn't keep in contact.

"I could help you, you know." Mari's voice was bitter and angry and Lexi flinched a bit at the tone but she straightened her shoulders and stared at Mari.

"Wouldn't you rather have a life? Have some place you can call home? I did what was best for both of us. If you were with me, I'd be to worried about you to watch my back." Lexi knew she was being harsh but she also knew she was right. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she'd dragged her kid sister into the mess she'd made of her life. "I'm gonna get going. I'll take care of this and I'll give you a call when it's done."

As Lexi turned and started to open the door, Mari leaned around her and shoved it shut. "That's it? No questions about how I've been or what my major is?"

Lexi sighed, "Now isn't the time Mari, I came here because you needed my help. I didn't come here to argue or have a girls night with you. I'm sorry if that upsets you but it's how it is. You need to learn to move one. Just forget about me."

"What the hell is wrong with you? We're family! Since when did that stop mattering?"

Lexi pulled the door open forcefully and glanced over her shoulder, "Since you were the only one left. You're in danger around me, it's better this way." Lexi walked into the hallway shutting the door behind her so she didn't have to hear her sisters reaction as she walked away from her once again.

When Lexi got back to her car, she flipped open the folder and began reading through the information her sister had compiled. It seemed to her that it was a vengeful spirit, killing anyone who reminded her of the people who had toyed and taunted her while she was alive. All of the people who had killed themselves were the type who probably acted like royalty and had no problem treating other people like shit. Of course that didn't mean that she thought they should die.

Dropping the paperwork into the passenger seat, she started the car and headed towards the library to verify the information her sister had gathered on the supposed ghost. A girl named Beverly Thrush, she'd killed herself about twenty years back. Lexi wanted to see if there were any other suicides at the college that fit this pattern. Once she did that she needed to locate where the girl was buried and take care of the remains before someone else got hurt.

After spending hours going through slides at the library, Lexi finally leaned back with a sigh while rubbing her eyes. Her sisters information had been right and she thanked god for that because it seemed that the ghost was picking people off a lot quicker and Lexi didn't think she had much time before the girl went after someone else. Luckily for her she'd been a local kid going to the college so her remains were only about twenty minutes away.

As she collected her belongings and headed out of the library, the hair on the back of her neck seemed to stand on end. Something wasn't right but she couldn't put her finger on what that was so she just shrugged it off and drove to the cemetery, wanting to get this taken care of so that she could get the hell out of here and head back to the Roadhouse. Parking near the entrance, she grabbed a shovel from her trunk along with a bag containing a flashlight, a can of salt, and a container of gas. Pulling the flashlight out of the bag, Lexi didn't bother to shut the trunk and instead headed towards the area she knew the girl was buried in.

After twenty minutes of searching, her eyes finally landed on the grave and she dropped the bag before she began shoveling the dirt out of the grave. She had hit the coffin and finally gotten it open when something grabbed her hair and pulled her out of the grave. Glancing over her shoulder she caught sight of Beverly for a split second before she was thrown into a headstone three graves away. "Trying to get rid of me? Why?" The ghost screamed, "Those people deserve what they got! You know it's true!"

Lexi staggered back to her feet and lunged for the iron shovel that was her only protection at this point since she'd forgotten her shotgun with it's salt rounds. Beverly let out an ear piercing scream and came flying back at Lexi just as she swung the shovel towards the ghost. Heaving a sigh when Beverly disappeared, Lexi dragged herself to the bag and dumped the salt and gasoline in the coffin. She lit a book of matches on fire just as Beverly reappeared, "I'm sorry. I hope you'll find peace."

Lexi tossed the matches into the grave and turned away, not wanting to see Beverly's apparition burn up before her eyes. It wasn't often she felt bad for a ghost, especially one that when on a killing spree but every so often she could see how circumstances could make them what they'd become. This just happened to be one of those times. Sinking to the ground, Lexi started putting the canisters back in the bag before she headed back towards the car.

This definitely had been one of the easier jobs she'd been on and she guessed she could thank her sister for that. Not that she'd actually thank her because then her sister might get the bright idea that she had a knack for this sort of thing. The last thing Lexi wanted was Mari out on the road hunting these things. Dropping her belongings back in the trunk, she slammed it shut without so much as a second glance as to where everything had landed.

She needed coffee and she needed it now, because she wasn't planning on stopping again until she made it back to the Roadhouse. Lexi sighed, pulling her phone out she stared at it for a moment before settling on sending a text to her sister saying the job was done. She wasn't in the mood to fight and she didn't have the time to waste on it right now. After that was done, she tossed her phone onto the passenger side seat and headed for a gas station. Once she had coffee in her she would be back on the road and so much closer to finding the monsters that had destroyed her life.


	3. Chapter Two

_Chapter Two

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_

Lexi hadn't wanted to stop to sleep, but she was nodding off and there wasn't a town or gas station in sight so she pulled off to the side of the road and climbed into the back seat. Reaching down to the floor she slid her hand around looking for her blanket. With a frown, Lexi opened her eyes and glanced onto the floor. She could've sworn she'd left it there. Sitting up with a sigh, Lexi rubbed her eyes and opened the back door before climbing out of the car. After opening the trunk she saw her blanket near the back, reaching back for it she grabbed it and pulled it out.

"What -the- fuck?" Lexi's eyes widened just a bit at the sight of her sister curled into a ball in her trunk.

Mari slowly opened her eyes and smiled a little, "Hey sis."

"Don't you 'hey sis' me…" Reaching in the car, Lexi grabbed Mari by her arm and pulled her from the car. "What are you doing in my trunk?"

"Thought you might want some company," Mari stated innocently staring up at Lexi with her big green eyes.

Shaking her head, Lexi stepped away from Mari and ran a hand through her blonde curls before retying them in the elastic they'd been in before she'd planned on sleeping. Lexi turned her glare on her sister and Mari had the sense to back up a few steps and look frightened. She'd never seen her sister angry like this. At least not that she could recall.

"You're going back." Lexi dropped the blanket back in the trunk before slamming it shut and walking around to the drivers side door. "Get in the fucking car."

Slamming her door behind her, Lexi started the car up and waited impatiently for Mari to get in. Mari on the other hand was still standing on the side of the road, her arms crossed. "I'm -not- going back!"

"Don't make me drag you by you're hair into this goddamn car." Lexi's tone clearly stated that she had no problem doing that exact thing if her orders weren't followed very shortly.

Mari didn't seem to care though, but she did walk up to the passenger side window and lean down to look at Lexi. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't go."

Lexi turned her icy stare on her sister as her hands clenched the steering wheel tightly. Lexi's blue eyes were narrowed into slits at her sister. "Because I don't want you there. Now get in the car, I'll drop you at the nearest bus station and you're going back to school."

Pulling open the door, Mari slid silently into the passenger seat. Once her door was shut, Lexi took off down the road not saying a word to her sister. Mari still hadn't given up on going with her sister she just knew she had to convince her that they would work better together and that Mari was old enough now to make her own decisions. Running a hand through her strawberry, blonde hair she glanced jealously at her sisters curls, wishing she'd had her own. Lexi didn't even really take care of them. Then again Mari didn't really expect her to with the life her sister was leading.

Mari studied her sister as they road in silence. Lexi had changed so much over the years, her face was harder and her skin had that permanent tan that you got only from spending hours upon hours outside day after day. The Lexi Mari had grown up with would never be caught dead in something that wasn't bought from one of her favorite stores. Not that she was selfish or self-absorbed she'd just had a certain style.

Now though it looked like her raggedy fitted tee and ripped jeans had been bought at Wal-Mart. She was also wearing boots that made her look like she belonged on the back of a back and from what Mari could see of her backseat it looked like she didn't own too many more things. Mari could also tell that her sister had lost weight, she'd never been plump but she'd been more curvaceous and now she looked like she was more solid than she used to be. Mari supposed that was another one of the 'hazards of the job'.

Mari on the other hand, would never be caught without make-up. She'd taken up a love of fashion while she was at school but she learned to be practical about it and could usually be seen in jeans or shorts rather than skirts and dresses. Mari hadn't inherited her mother's figure like Lexi had so she did everything she could to enhance what she had. She was toned like her sister from years spent learning to fight, but she had ivory white skin that came from spending your hours locked away somewhere studying or fighting.

She was so lost in her thoughts she barely noticed that they'd pulled into a gas station and Lexi was looking at her expectantly. Heaving a sigh, Lexi grabbed her sunglasses from the dash. "I'm filling up and asking where the nearest bus station is. Do you want anything?"

Mari was slightly surprised her sister even asked, "No. I'm okay."

Lexi nodded and got out of the car before heading towards the store and walking inside. Mari didn't want to leave but she knew her sister wasn't going to give her a choice. If only Mari knew where she was going then she would just trade her bus ticket in for a new one to there. Mari searched her car a little and frowned when she came up empty handed. Mari had only seen one duffel in the trunk and then there was one full of clothes in her back seat as well. She knew that Lexi couldn't possibly fit all of her research and her weapons into those two duffels. She wondered where she kept them out.

"Stop snooping through my shit," The voice was harsh and nearly made Mari jump out of her skin. "You won't find anything useful."

Glancing up at her sister, Mari shrugged, "What'd you expect me to do?"

"Stay at your college and know when you're not welcome," Although Lexi's face and voice said she meant every word of that Mari knew her better and she knew her sister was just trying to protect her. Mari was sick of her sister protecting her though, it's all she'd been doing for the last ten years and at twenty-two Mari felt she could take care of herself.

Mari knew she wasn't going to get anywhere with her sister though, so she just crossed her arms and knew she'd have to figure something else out. She knew her sister wouldn't agree to taking her anywhere while Mari still had classes. So she'd finish out her semester and find a way to track her sister come winter break. It may not be the best idea but it was the only thing Mari could think to do. Mari looked back at her sister as she finally climbed into the car. "I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't have followed you to the cemetery and I shouldn't have made myself at home in your trunk."

"Damn straight," Lexi muttered under her breath. "Look there's a bus station across town. I'm going to drop you off there and then I have to head out. I've got a long drive still."

Mari frowned, "But you haven't stopped driving for more than a minute since you left my school. When do you sleep?"

"Well I was going to sleep until I found I had a stowaway in my trunk. I figured that needed taking care of and now I'm too wired to sleep. I should be able to drive a few more hours before I need to pull over." Lexi raised the coffee cup to her lips as a show of defiance against her sisters words. "I've driven further on less sleep so stop worrying."

It didn't take them long to get to the bus station and Mari was more than a little disappointed her plan hadn't worked. She knew the moment her sister found her she'd be sending her home but Mari had been hoping that she wouldn't have found her until she'd gotten somewhere Mari could track her to. Lexi got out of the car and walked towards the bus station, looking over her shoulder expectantly at her sister.

Mari sighed and climbed out of the car as well before following her sister inside the bus station. As Lexi bought her ticket, Mari stood off to the side with her arms crossed. When Lexi walked over and handed her, her ticket Mari glanced up at her taller sister from beneath her lashes. "Lex? Are you mad at me?"

A small smirk crossed Lexi's face, "Nah, I'm not mad at you sis. I just want to keep you safe."

Mari nodded her head slowly, she knew that but it didn't mean she wasn't completely sick of her sisters overprotective nature. "Alright."

"Call me when you get home?" Lexi asked, expectantly. She knew she probably wouldn't pick up but she'd like to know that her sister got back to the school alright.

"Of course, I'll call." Mari knew as well as her sister that she probably wouldn't get an answer. As Lexi turned to walk away, Mari called after her and then jogged over to give her a hug. "Take care of yourself, Lex."

"You too, Mari," Lexi said as she hugged her sister tightly. Once she pulled away Lexi made her way back to her car to continue to the Roadhouse. She didn't think she'd be able to sleep for awhile after her interaction with her little sister. The girl worried her beyond all measure and the fact that she'd followed Lexi and hidden in her trunk just proved how reckless she could be.

Starting her car, Lexi pulled out onto the road heading back towards the highway she'd been on when she'd found her sister stowed away. Lexi knew it was only a matter of time before her sister tried coming with her again but Lexi had other things on her mind and she didn't have time to brood about her little sister.

* * *

When Lexi finally pulled up in front of the Roadhouse, she was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to get the information she needed and pass out for some much needed rest. As Lexi stepped out of her car she stretched her sore muscles hoping some of the feeling would return to them. Slamming the door shut she quickly locked the door and strode towards the entrance of the bar.

It was like a feeling of déjà vu but this time she at least knew who she was looking for. Ellen could hopefully put her in touch with this mystery person and whoever they were they could provide the answers she was looking for. Entering the bar, Lexi glanced around and noticed it seemed fairly empty except for a guy rocking a mullet and that blonde haired chick from the last time she was there.

The door slammed shut behind her, announcing her presence to the other people in the room. They both glanced towards her and the blondes face flashed something akin to dislike or annoyance while the man had a huge smile on his face. "Well, hello gorgeous. I always knew an angel like you would walk into my life one day."

Lexi quirked an eyebrow at him and stepped towards the bar, "Bud. And is Ellen around?"

The girl turned to grab the beer and the man turned to study her, "Ellen went out to get some supplies, she should be back soon. What's your name pretty lady?"

Turning her head towards the man, "Lexi." She kept it simple and didn't bothering asking him for his own name as she turned back to the beer that was set in front of her. Dropping a five on the bar she waited for her change before standing and heading to the jukebox. It had a decent selection in it so she dropped a dollar in quarters in and put on Back in Black followed by a Pink Floyd song.

Heading back to the bar she took a seat near the man, but didn't say anything to him. "Well, I'm Ash and that pretty girl behind the counter is Jo. You wanna try to stay on her good side or she'll refuse to serve you."

Lifting an eyebrow up at the newly christened Jo, she offered the girl a friendly smirk, "That so?"

"I only cut Ash off, cause he has a tendency to pass out on our pool table. So what're you looking for my mom for?"

"Ellen's your mom?" Lexi shrugged and sipped her beer, "She was going to put me in touch with a mutual friend of ours."

"Oh yeah? Who's that?" Jo asked, her tone getting a little snide. Lexi figured it was because her mom hadn't filled her in on this and she probably didn't like that.

Lexi just gave another shrug and turned back to Ash, "You like the surface or something?"

"Huh?" He turned to face her and then laughed, realizing she was referring to his habitual pool table pattern. "I suppose I do. Or at least I do when I'm two sheets to the wind."

Nodding once more, Lexi returned to her thoughts and pulled out her phone noticing for the first time that she had a missed call. Of course, it was from Mari. Listening to it quickly she nodded her head hearing that her sister was back safe and sound in her dorm. Shutting the phone, Lexi stood again and grabbed her beer before heading over to the pool table. She pulled out the right amount of quarters to release the balls and slid them into the appropriate slots.

When they were released she set her beer down on a nearby table and went over to stack them in the rack. She glanced up at Ash when she was finished to see he was studying her intently, "You gonna play? Or were you just gonna stare at my ass from over there?"

Her tone was dry when she asked the question but the sarcasm was clear in her voice. Ash laughed and followed her over, "You can break, sweetheart."

Lexi smirked, knowing he'd just dug his own grave. Ten years ago her pool playing skills were limited but after all that time on the road she'd picked up more than a few tricks. Grabbing a cue stick along with the cue ball and headed to the other end of the table to position the cue ball for the break. Chalking her stick a bit she leaned over and hit the racked balls from the left side, pocketing two solids.

"I'll be damned, angel, you're not just all looks."

A laugh bubbled forth from her lips and she glanced over her shoulder to throw Ash a quick grin as she pocketed a third solid without even looking. "Guess you'll have to remember not to put money on a game with me." After hitting in one more ball she scratched and Ash lined the cue ball up to take his turn.

Lexi strode over to the table holding her beer as Ash continued to pocket one ball after another. Lexi nearly choked on her beer when he got all but two in before missing. "I'll be damned, guess I'll have to be the one to remember not to put money on a game with you."

Jo was smirking at her from behind the counter but it had lost some of the frost countenance it'd contained earlier. Lexi was happy for it to because she couldn't stand to be around women like that. Lexi pocketed a few more balls before Ash cleared the table causing Lexi to mock bow to him before grabbing her beer and heading back to the bar.

"He used to go to MIT, something to do with all the math he can pretty much clear a table in one shot."

"Are you telling me he missed on purpose?" Lexi asked with a half grin on her face.

"Pretty much," Jo shrugged and laughed a bit. "We all know better than to challenge him to a game. Usually people don't take it so well when they lose to him."

"I'm far from a sore loser when it comes to playing a game. Now if money were involved I might be a little offended." Lexi grinned to show she was just kidding and tucked a curl back that was dangling irritatingly in her face. Jo's eyes widened a fraction of an inch when they landed on the side of her face. It was still badly scarred from her encounter with the vampires. There was a jagged scar edging down the side of it over her jaw and her forehead still had burn scars that traveled down her cheek. They had faded over the years but were still noticeable. Lexi was used to the looks she got from others because of it, for the most part they were pity. Especially these days because they were so faded.

Jo looked like she wanted to ask about them but at that moment the door opened and a couple of loud male customers walked in. Lexi's back stiffened but she didn't move other than that to acknowledge their presence. As they took seats at the bar, Jo grabbed their drinks and she could feel their eyes on her. "Lookie, lookie what we have here. Aren't you a pretty thing?"

"Leave her be boys," Jo chastised them as she set their drinks down in front of them. "She's a friend of my moms."

That seemed to stop anything else they were planning on saying right in its tracks. Lexi was glad for the intervention because she'd been about to reach for the gun she kept at her back but it seemed Jo had taken care of it with a few friendly words. "Spoiling all our fun, Jo."

Jo laughed and shook her head before grabbing a beer and setting it down in front of Lexi. "Looked like you needed a refill."

Lexi merely nodded her head and reached into her pocket for more money, "Don't worry about it it's on me." She glanced at the guys sitting down at the other end of the bar, "I'm going to get ice, boys. If you need anything give me a holler."

Jo walked into the backroom and Lexi finished her beer before pushing it away and taking a swig from the new one Jo had set down in front of her. She glanced around for Ash but didn't see him anywhere in sight, he must have wondered off somewhere. Her eyes landed on the guys sitting at the bar and one of them leered a bit at her. She could tell that if Jo hadn't said something to them she'd be getting more advances than a look.

It wasn't that Lexi felt she needed anyone to protect herself but there were only so many weirdo guys she could deal with hitting on her at one time. It got old after awhile and unless she was looking to get laid she didn't take very kindly to their advances. Right now the last thing on her mind was getting laid. She wanted to get this information from Ellen and talk to this informant. Hopefully before she had to find a motel room and pass out for the night.

The door swung open behind her again and Ellen's voice called in, "Ash! I need your help with these kegs!"

Lexi stood and turned, "I can help you, Ellen."

Ellen glanced her way and nodded once she recognized who was talking to her. As Lexi walked out the door and over to Ellen's truck, Ellen gave her a sideways glance. "You sure ran outta here quick the last time you were here. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just had some business to take care of." She grunted a bit as she helped Ellen carry in a keg. Ash was just coming out as they entered and Ellen told him there were a few more in the truck he could get. As they carried the keg around the bar and into the backroom. Ellen paused once they set it down and leaned against the counter.

"I called the person I was telling you about and left him a message. I haven't heard anything back, but I told him to expect a call from you."

Lexi nodded a bit and crossed her arms as she leaned against the counter facing Ellen. "Who is this guy?"

"An old hunter friend, his names Gordon Walker." Ellen sighed and it seemed as though she didn't really want to be giving Lexi this information. Lexi just raised an eyebrow in her direction instead of asking her out right what the deal was. "He's a good hunter, but he's destructive. You shouldn't get to close to him."

"Don't worry, I don't play well with others. I just want to know what he knows."

Ellen nodded and seemed a bit relieved and also perplexed at her statement. "How'd you hear about this place anyway?"

"Ran into a few hunters who mentioned this place, figured it'd be a good place to go if I'm looking for information." Lexi kept her answers simple, not wanting to give away too much information about herself.

"How long have you been in this gig?"

"A long time," Lexi didn't want to talk about her past. Although Ellen seemed like someone she could talk to, it wasn't something she did. "How about you? You're certainly not someone who just got into this."

Ellen sighed, "My late husband was a hunter."

Lexi frowned her apologies, she simply didn't know what to say. She wasn't good with grieving people although it didn't seem as though Ellen was grieving and as if to answer her question Ellen shrugged, "It was a long time ago when Jo was still a little girl."

Nodding her head a bit, Lexi stood up straighter and uncrossed her arms. She wanted to get away from the topic of their pasts so she pushed forward on this other hunter. "I should probably give that hunter a call and get going. I need to find a motel for the night."

Ellen gave a short nod and pulled her phone out of her pocket scrolling through her numbers before listing off Gordon Walkers. Lexi plugged it into her phone before thanking Ellen. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"You should stop in when you come through. Hunters are coming in all the time, you never know who you'll meet and what information they'll have."

Lexi gave her a nod before heading out, waving to both Ash and Jo before climbing into her car once more to find a motel. It didn't take too long for her to come across a motel and this one wasn't as shabby looking as the last. She'd learned not to judge a book by its cover though when it came to motels. After getting a room, Lexi grabbed her duffel from her bag and unlocked her room, sighing when she was it really was a decent place. Dropping her duffel onto the bed she walked into the bathroom and stripped, studying herself in the mirror for a moment.

One of the reasons she didn't take up with men too often was because she wasn't exactly comfortable with the scars that riddled the side of her body. She knew she was good looking and it bothered her that ten years later she still wasn't used to the scars that covered her body. Heaving a sigh, Lexi turned away from the mirror and continued taking her clothes off before turning the water on and stepping in. It was cold at first but it warmed up pretty quickly. It was nice to wipe all the grime and sweat off her body that seemed to be coating it from the last few days. Once she finished, Lexi dried off and walked into the main room pulling some sweats on.

Grabbing her phone from her discarded jeans she dialed Gordon, hoping he would pick up. When it went straight to voice mail she heaved a sigh and dropped back on the bed, hanging it up without leaving a message. Pulling her charger out of her bag she plugged her phone in and tugged the sheets and comforter down before climbing into bed. It didn't take long for her to pass out for what would hopefully be a long dream free sleep.

* * *

A.N. Thank you to everyone reading! I hope you're enjoying my story so far and the next chapter should have actual interaction with the Winchesters. ;)


	4. Chapter Three

_**Chapter Three**_

_**

* * *

**_

_All our times have come_

_Here, but now there, gone_

_Seasons don't fear the reaper_

_Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain_

_(We can be like they are)_

_Come on baby _

_(Don't fear the reaper)_

_Baby take my hand_

_(Don't fear the reaper)_

_We'll be able to fly_

_(Don't fear the reaper)_

Lexi groaned and grabbed her phone from the nightstand, flipping it open before it could play anymore of her general ring tone. She didn't even glance at the number as she mumbled a hello. "Is this Lexi Mallory?"

The deep voice had her blinking and she rubbed her eyes before leaning up, "Yeah. Hold on a second."

She pulled the phone away from her to glance at the number and realized it was the guy Ellen had put her in touch with. Putting the phone back up to her ear, "Gordon Walker?"

"That would be me. Ellen told me you would be calling, I was a little caught up in something though so I missed your call. What's this about?"

Lexi sighed and ran a hand through her tangled hair as she dragged herself out of bed and walked over to the coffee machine in the room to start brewing a cup. "I had a few questions and Ellen thought you would be someone who could help me."

"What sort of questions?"

"I'm looking for some vampires." She sighed and press the button on the machine for it to begin brewing before walking over to glance in the mirror. She was a wreck, she still had dark circles under her eyes and her hair was tangled but at least she was clean. "The nest has six or seven members, they hunt families. I tracked them to Louisiana before I lost the trail."

Gordon didn't say anything at first, he seemed to be mulling something over. "I'm in the middle of a hunt right now so I'll be in town till that's finished. How far are you from Red Lodge, Montana?"

"About half a days drive." Lexi knew she'd have to haul ass but if it meant getting the information she needed then she was willing to risk a speeding ticket.

"Good, give me a call when you get into town and if I'm not busy we'll meet for some drinks." By the way he sounded she knew it was just a hunter to hunter type deal and he wasn't expecting to get something at the end of the night. Which was good because she'd hate to make an enemy of someone who could help her find the bloodsuckers she was looking for.

"Yeah, talk to you then." Lexi hung the phone up and tossed it on the bed before grabbing her duffel and digging around for her hairbrush and toothbrush. Heading into the bathroom she set to get ready for the day. Once her hair was up and her breath tasted fresh she walked back into the main room. She was thankful this place left plastic coffee cups in the bedroom seeing as how she still hadn't replaced her travel mug.

Pouring herself a glass, she sipped it cautiously before setting it down to cool and heading back to her duffel to grab out some clean clothes. Once she was ready for the day she cleaned up her belongings and made sure the room was in proper condition before grabbing her coffee, tucking her gun in its place at her waistband and heading towards the main office to check out.

Lexi couldn't wait to get back on the road and although her stomach grumbled because she hadn't eaten in nearly twenty-four hours she was going to wait until she got to Red Lodge to eat. She didn't want anything else holding up her travel time and she could deal with her stomach rumbling for awhile longer.

The drive went by surprisingly quickly, then again Lexi was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice that she was doing nearly forty over the speed limit the entire way. It was near eight o'clock when she finally pulled into town. She drove through town and decided to stop at the motel she was passing and book a room. Although she knew she was putting a strain on herself money wise by getting a motel room two nights in a row, she figured it would be well worth it to catch up on her sleep.

After booking a room, Lexi grabbed both her clothes duffel and the duffel containing her main weapons before heading into the room. If she couldn't get a hold of Gordon right away she might as well clean some of her guns, she'd been slacking on doing that. Once inside her room, she salted all of the entrances and washed her face before getting her phone to call Gordon.

She was slightly surprised when he answered but shrugged it off, "I got a room in town. Is there somewhere we can meet?" When he told her the bar she was at she told him she'd be there in five and grabbed her weapons bag before walking out, locking the door behind her. One thing, Lexi had learned early on was that a hunter should never go anywhere without their weapons unless they had a death wish.

It didn't take her long to find the bar he had mentioned and she pulled her car into the lot parking it in an empty spot. Getting out of the car, her eyes scanned the lot as she headed for the entrance. She knew the bar would be busy, just by looking at the amount of cars in the lot. As she walked into the bar, her eyes scanned the crowd before landing on a man who seemed to be studying her. She assumed it was Gordon and walked over to him, "Walker?"

He nodded slightly and she took a seat, "Want a drink?"

With a nod of her head he waved a waitress over and she ordered a beer and a burger with fries. "Long drive," She explained and she leaned back in her chair and waited for the waitress to walk out of hearing distance. "So what job are you working?"

"Been tracking some vamps for awhile, finally got a lead on them here."

Again she nodded her head, but didn't ask anymore questions. She figured Gordon could handle himself and if he couldn't he'd have said something. "So, have you heard of the nest I'm looking for?"

Gordon studied her without answering, "What happened?" He asked motioning to the side of her face.

Lexi frowned, she didn't come all this way to swap war stories with some guy she didn't know. She thought he'd have information, but then again Ellen had told her he was a strange sort and she figured she may as well answer his questions so she could get some answers for hers.

"House fire, 'bout ten years ago." She liked to keep things simple and although she hoped he wouldn't pry she highly doubted that he wouldn't.

"Is that how you got into this line of work?" His question seemed simple enough but the way he was studying her was unnerving.

"Yeah," Again she didn't elaborate but when the silence dragged on she shrugged. "They took my family and killed my parents and son. My sister and I got out. Guess they thought we'd die in the fire."

"Vampires? The ones your looking for I guess." Gordon didn't seem like he was asking a question so much as stating a fact so Lexi just shrugged in response. "It's a rough gig for a girl, you hunt alone?"

Lexi crossed her arms across her chest and studied him, "Since it happened."

"Your sister?" Lexi just shrugged and Gordon seemed to accept that as answer enough and seemed to decide not to pry any more about it. "I've heard of that nest but I haven't been able to find much on them. I've been caught up tracking this one for over a year now."

The waitress stopped at their table to set down Lexi's beer and told her that her food would be done in just a few minutes. Lexi nodded and lifted the beer to her lips, taking a deep swig from it. "How'd you hear about them?"

Gordon shrugged, "Just through some sources. They were the next nest on my list to track."

Lexi's eyes glinted dangerously, "I'll take care of them."

A small smirk appeared on Gordon's lips, "But you haven't yet."

She had known it would be coming, nine years was a long time to hunt a nest. "I picked off a couple of them early on but they caught on to me. They've gotten smarter at hiding their tracks."

"I heard someone escaped from them about a month ago in South Dakota. A guy, middle aged, I was going to head that way and chat with him after I wrapped up my business here."

Lexi sighed, she was glad she hadn't wasted a trip here. Nodding her head slightly, Lexi waved the waitress down. "Can I get that food to go?"

The waitress nodded and Gordon laughed, "Not gonna stick around?"

"You don't look like someone who needs help on a hunt," Lexi replied eyeing him.

"No, I don't. Guess I'm just used to people offering."

With a shrug, Lexi took another drink from her beer as she waited for her food. "If you need help all you have to do is ask."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Lexi pulled out some money and dropped it on the table, "I'll only be in town tonight but you have my number. Where in South Dakota?"

Gordon finished his beer before answering, "Fall River. His names Tommy Doyle."

Lexi nodded and took her food from the waitress when it was brought back over. "Thanks for the information."

Without another word or a backwards glance, Lexi stood from the table they'd been at and began heading towards the entrance. She slid between two guys walking towards the bar and glanced up at them, frowning. They both looked familiar but she couldn't place them. The shorter of the two gave her a cocky smirk to which she simply raised an eyebrow before continuing on.

"Dude, do you ever stop thinking about getting in a girls pants?" She heard the taller one ask, but she was out of hearing range before she could hear the other guys response. A slight smirk danced on the edges of her lips as she exited the bar and headed for her car. She figured she'd eat this, clean her weapons and head for South Dakota come morning.

Around twelve that night, Lexi heard a commotion coming from the room next door and grabbed her handgun from the table in front of her. After a second thought she grabbed the broadsword lying there as well and headed for the front door. Tucking the gun into her waistband she pulled open the front door, holding the broadsword just out of sight.

She was mildly surprised when she saw two men pulling a third one with a hood over his face from the room next door. He looked out of it but not quite unconscious. She had a feeling that the other two were anything but human. Stepping out she shut the door behind her and kept the broadsword hidden from view. "Hey, what's going on out here?" She kept her voice very innocent as she stared at the two men.

The hooded male tilted his head and tried to shake it at her, getting her to leave. The larger of the two 'men' took a menacing step towards her and growled low in his throat, "Go back to your room, girlie, you don't want to get hurt."

"Ah, ah, didn't your mother ever teach not to be rude to women?" Slowly she pulled the broadsword out from behind her leg and it let it hang in her hand at her side. "What kind of respectable citizen would I be if I let you walk away with that guy like a happy meal?"

"Hunter…" The man rushed her and she dodged to her left swiping her sword towards the mans gut. He stepped back just in time to stop his organs from spilling from his body. Before he could attack again she swung her sword up, slicing him across the chest. He growled in outrage and before she could attack again he was on her bending her wrist at an impossible angle causing her to drop the sword. "You should've gone back inside."

He glanced at his companion and he shoved her against the wall. "Bring her too, we can't risk her alerting the others and following us."

The vampire holding her hissed in her ear and quickly handcuffed her hands behind her. She was surprised he didn't just kill her on the spot but maybe he was bringing her home to share. As she was dragged towards a truck the other one covered her head with a hood and she was shrouded in darkness as she was shoved inside and pushed against the window.

She momentarily lost consciousness as her head clanged against the window but came to when the other man was roughly shoved against her. She straightened up and tried to listen to the two vampires outside the car, but they were speaking to quietly for her to make out their words. "You shouldn't have done that."

She tilted her head to the side, wishing she knew who was speaking to her. "Couldn't just sit back and watch."

"Guess not." He didn't say anything else and it was probably a good thing as the other two vampires climbed into the car and they took off. She had a pretty good sense of direction and realized they went over the bridge on the outskirts of town but couldn't figure much else out besides that.

When they finally parked, the vampire sitting in the backseat opened the door and pulled the man out. The driver came around to grab Lexi, but once he opened the door Lexi shoved her leg out feeling it connect with the vampires stomach. He cursed and grabbed her arm dragging her inside while she did everything she could to get out of his grasp.

Once they were inside he dragged her to an adjoining room and shoved her into a chair. She heard the man being shoved into one as well. The vampire pulled the hood off her and her eyes took a moment to adjust to the light as the other vampire left the room and the large one got in her face, baring his fangs.

She blew out a breath and scrunched her nose, "Ever heard of toothpaste? Mints, maybe?" She sent him a sarcastic smirk and glanced around the room noticing a women standing in the entryway. When the vampire in front of her moved towards the other guy and pulled his hood off her eyes lit up with recognition. It was the taller of the two men who had been in the bar that night.

Lexi frowned, it was too much of a coincidence for this to happen. He must be a hunter and he must be here for the same reason Gordon was. That made the most sense to her. The woman in the background stepped forward and studied her. "Who is this? I told you to bring him."

"She decided to play hero and attacked me." He turned towards the woman to show her his bloodied shirt. "This town is crawling with fucking hunters."

Lexi felt eyes on her and she glanced at the man who was brought in with her, she wasn't sure if he recognized her but he was studying her intensely and it was starting to bug her. She frowned at him before returning her attention to the vampires. The male vampire turned his attention towards the guy and bared his fangs while advancing on him.

The guy started to struggle and so did Lexi, not wanting her final moments to be at the hands of these bloodthirsty creatures. Especially not before she killed the ones who had taken her life from her. The female took a step towards the male vampire, "Wait! Step back, Eli."

A smirk crossed Lexi's face, "Yeah Eli, take a step back."

Eli sent a glare her way but did as the woman commanded. She glanced between Lexi and the other man, "My name's Lenore, we're not going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Lexi glanced at the other man, thinking that Lenore probably wanted to talk to him more than her. The man glanced at Lenore, "Talk? Yeah, okay, but I might have a hard time paying attention to much besides Eli's teeth."

Refraining from nodding in agreement, Lexi studied Lenore wondering what kind of vampire just wanted to 'talk' with her dinner. It must be some sort of ploy to get information from them. Well Lexi for one wasn't going to answer a single damn question they posed at her.

Lenore sighed quietly, "He won't hurt you either. You have my word."

Lexi snorted and the other man seemed to follow her sentiment. "Your word? Oh yeah, great, thanks. Listen lady, no offense, but you're not the first vampire I've met."

Shaking her head slightly, Lenore leaned back a little. "We're not like the others. We don't kill humans, and we don't drink their blood. We haven't for a long time."

"Sure you don't, and I'm just the tooth fairy here to give you a dollar every time a new canine grows in." Lexis' face hardened, who did these people thing they were? She knew she wasn't an amateur and obviously this other man wasn't.

"What is this, some kind of joke?" The man asked her, a scowl crossing his face.

Lenore seemed a bit aggravated as she glanced between them, "Notice your still alive."

The guy frowned, "Okay, uh, correct me if I'm wrong here, but shouldn't you be starving to death?"

"We've found other ways. Cattle blood."

Lexi continued to glance back and forth between Lenore and the other man. It looked like recognition was dawning upon him. She couldn't believe it, but it seemed like he was buying this story. "You're telling me you're responsible for all the -"

A frown seemed to have settled upon Lenore's features and she offered him a shrug, "It's not ideal, in fact it's disgusting. But it allows us to get by."

"Okay, uh, why?"The look Lenore sent his way, seemed to relay the fact that she thought he was a little slow, "Survival. No deaths, no missing locals, no reason for people like you two to come looking for people like us. We blend in. Our kind is practically extinct. Turns out we weren't quite as high up on the food chain as we imagined."

Lexi had a hard time keeping her mouth shut, but before she could say a word Eli spoke up from where he stood. "Why are we explaining ourselves to this killer?"

"Eli!"

He ignored her as he continued, "We choke on cow's blood so that none of them suffer. Tonight they murdered Conrad and they celebrated."

Glancing at the man in the chair beside her, Lexi frowned in distaste. She'd never celebrated a job, no matter how relieved she was when it was over. It just didn't seem right, it seemed like that was one step above something they'd do. "Eli, that's enough." Lenore spoke quietly but her tone left no room for argument. Lexi wasn't sure what the hell was going on but she wished she'd just stayed in her room. It left an empty feeling in her stomach to know that there were vampires out there that didn't drink human blood and survived. If Lenore was indeed telling the looked back at the them, "What's done is done. We're leaving this town tonight."

Lexi frowned and was about to ask what the point of this was when the man spoke up. "Then why did you bring me here? Why are you even talking to us?"

"Believe me, I'd rather not. But I know your kind. Once you have the scent you'll keep tracking us, it doesn't matter where we go. Hunters will find us."

"So you're asking us not to follow you."

Lenore crossed her arms, "We have a right to live, we're not hurting anyone."

"Right, so you keep saying, but give me one good reason why I should believe you."

Thank god, that guy hadn't completely bought her shtick because Lexi wasn't completely believing it yet herself. She was just waiting for Lenore to give Eli the go ahead to tear her throat open.

Lenore leaned down in the mans face and glanced between him and Lexi, "Fine. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to let you go."

Lexi was sure the look on her face mirrored the surprise glance that the man was give Lenore. She didn't give either of them a chance to say anything else though. She stood up straight and turned towards Eli, "Take them back. Not a mark on them."

Lenore glanced Lexi's way, "Well no more than what's already done."

Eli frowned but walked towards them and slipped the sacks over their heads again before grabbing them both by the arm and dragging them out the front door. She could tell she was handed off to another and then roughly shoved back in the truck. Lexi tried her hardest to pay attention to where they were going but her mind was reeling with the information that had presented to her.

How was it possible that there were vampires out there who didn't feed on humans and she didn't know about it. It sounded ludicrous and it made her anger at the vampires who had turned her into the person she was grow tenfold. If they could survive on animal blood then they had been in it for the sport. They had eaten her son because it made them laugh and because they enjoyed it.

When they finally pulled to a stop, one of the vampires removed her handcuffs before shoving her out of the truck. She could feel the man land beside her and then heard the car take off. Reaching up she pulled the hood from her head and dropped it on the ground before sitting up. Rubbing her wrists she turned her attention to the guy next to her. "Who the hell are you?"

The question came from both of them at the same time and she raised an eyebrow at him before shrugging. "Name's Lexi Mallory."

She pushed herself to a standing position and stared at him expectantly. "Sam Winchester. I saw you earlier at the bar."

Lexi nodded, "I was meeting someone."

Glancing around she saw something glinting by the dumpster and walked over, finding both her handgun and the broadsword. Well at least they hadn't been trashed somewhere else. Leaning down, she picked them up tucking the gun where it always was and holding the sword at her side.

Sam must have followed her because he gently lifted her hand holding the sword. It took everything Lexi had not to jump at the touch and backhand him. "It looks sprained. You should wrap that in something."

Lexi merely nodded, "I gotta go make a phone call."

She looked up at him thinking he was impossibly tall and shrugged, "Guess I'm right next door if you need anything."

Walking towards her room Sam stopped her by grabbing her shoulder. "Come meet my brother first."

Lexi glanced over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "You're brother? The one trying to get into my pants?"

He looked embarrassed and rubbed the back of his neck, "You heard that, huh?"

"Oh, yeah." She sent him a smirk and shrugged. "Fine."

Sam lead the way to the room next to hers and pushed open the door. She heard a couple of male voices and one sounded suspiciously like Gordons. She waited outside the entrance, off to the side when she heard someone ask where Sam had been and then Sam asked that person to talk alone.

Lexi set the sword down, leaning against the wall beside her and rubbed her wrists. The man who Sam had been talking to followed him outside and glanced her way. "What were you pulling me out here to tell me you got lucky?"

Sam sighed and Lexi didn't bother to say a word, just continued to rub her wrists. She also made no move to hide the weapon within reach next to her and she could tell when his eyes landed on it because they widened slightly. "What the hell is going on, Sammy?"

* * *

**A.N. Thank you to everyone reading! Hope you're enjoying, I know I'm enjoying writing it. I need a beta reader if anyone's interested.**


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